The Lake Walk
by planet p
Summary: AU; sequel to Sweep You off Your Feet. Rose/Nine


**The Lake Walk** by planet p

**Disclaimer** I don't own _Doctor Who_ or any of its characters.

AU; written in 2006 or 2005, one of my first DW fan fictions, set after _The Rain House_ and _Sweep You off Your Feet_.

* * *

Rose passed a white Styrofoam cup to the Doctor. "It's coffee," she said, "not arsenic."

He turned to look at her, inquiringly, but she looked away, out across the dirty lake, her shoes clopping loudly on the wooden boardwalk.

He took a sip. There was far too much sugar, but he didn't mind. Perhaps a little sugar would cheer him up. He gazed over at Rose, who was determinately staring out into the dark, murky waters of the lake. He slowed his pace to stare at a sign that had some wildlife information written on its shiny cream surface. He stared at the left corner where the print had been scratched away, an engraving forming a tiny love heart. It read: "Max 4 Emma 4ever!"

Rose had stiffened in her movements as though uncomfortable, her arms crossed tightly across her chest, her fingers tucked away under her sleeves. A stifling silence had fallen all around them, or so it seemed. In the distance a small child screamed, a door slammed somewhere not too far away, a bird squawked…

The Doctor stopped. Rose, who had obviously been waiting for something like this to happen, spun around and glanced at him, before flicking her head back and striding off ahead, staring straight ahead.

The Doctor ran up to her, and grabbing her shoulders perhaps a little harsher than was necessary, started to kiss her. She hardly moved at all, so he just kept on kissing her, searching for some feeling of comfort or warmth. With both of his hands on his chest, she shoved him away. He stumbled back onto the trodden grass, but didn't lose his balance.

"Isn't that what you wanted?" he asked fiercely.

She walked towards him, her eyes fixed on his, her head at a calculating angle. He shut his eyes, expecting her to slap him any moment, but she didn't. She grabbed the front of his shirt and pushed him onto the grass ungraciously.

"Yes!" she half-growled, and sat down on top of him.

"R-" he began, but was stifled by her kissing him.

"It's all this kicking alien butt," she hissed. "It's got me mixed up. And you, damn, acting like you're so hard to get. Now I'm really angry, and you're going to get it."

The Doctor opened his mouth to argue. She held her hand over it.

"Don't tell me I'm drunk. It was only half a glass of rum."

The Doctor looked alarmed and tried to push her away.

"Look at you – getting all 'oh the poor little girl, she doesn't know what she's doing, she's drunk.' Don't. It pisses me off. I know what I'm doing, and I'd be doing a whole lot more if there weren't little kids and goody-two-shoe mums staring at us right now," she flicked her head, indicating some play equipment.

"Rose?"

She slapped him. He flinched. "No. Shut up! Okay? Kiss me!"

He appeared to be in shock and did nothing.

"Do it!" she screamed. "Do I have to get naked?" She started to undo the buttons on her cardigan, fumbling with the daisy buttons. She was drunk, no matter what she said. He started to kiss her, fearing that she may indeed undress herself in full view of half a hundred people.

Despite the fact that he had been slapped, pushed, shouted at, and felt really bad because Rose was drunk, the kissing part felt good. He hugged Rose closer to him. The feel of her weight against his was a comforting feeling. Rose was clawing at his back and this was a little disconcerting, not because it hurt particularly but because he knew he wanted more too. But they were in public, people were staring.

He rolled over on the grass, on top of Rose, and felt the release of her weight on his chest.

"Race ya!" he whispered playfully and dashed off.

Rose got to her feet and bounded after him. "I'm comin' tuh get you!" she shouted.

He turned to look back at her. She looked really funny running along in bare feet, clutching her shoes in her hands. He could tell that she was making a huge effort to catch him up.

He smiled and gave her a little wave. She smiled back, staring at him as if he were a naughty boy. Laughing, he ran off ahead again, the gravel crunching under his feet. They had come to some trees now and the Doctor stopped and leant against a tree with his palm. He had a very bad stitch. He turned to look back at the path, but it was empty. For a moment he felt panicked. "Boo!" Rose sprang out from behind a tree and snatched at the air. The chase was on again!

There was a building up ahead and so the Doctor made for that. He was nearly there but suddenly almost tripped, and unfortunately not being able to slow down quick enough whacked into a concrete wall. It was a relief he had stopped. Air came rushing back into his stinging lungs. He leant against the concrete wall, breathing heavily. He could see Rose coming towards him, but the stitch in his side wasn't budging.

Rose sprang on him, and started kissing him. He pushed himself away from the wall and pushed Rose's back into it. It moved. It was a green door. They stumbled into the room. Rose laughed. It was the toilets. She jumped up and turned the latch to lock it, so that a little red sign came up on the door outside, proclaiming that the room was "occupied."

She giggled. She didn't care how naughty she was being. She hauled the Doctor up off the cold floor and pushed him against the door. They were kissing again. He pushed a hand into her tracky pants. It was wrong. He knew that. But it was the most wonderful thing he had felt in a long time, and that made it better.

Rose couldn't stop giggling. The Doctor didn't care.

* * *

To be continued in _The Crying Room_. Thanks for reading!


End file.
